2016 was a great year for burgers locally. The last 12 months have seen a variety of new hamburger establishments entering the Houston market. New upscale restaurants also are including gourmet burgers on their menu. Local favorites were greeted with the arrivals of Austin-grown Hopdoddy, 4444 Westheimer in the River Oaks District, and the New York-based Shake Shack in The Galleria.

Of all the new burger joints debuting this year, the most anticipated was Killen's Burgers in Pearland. I am happy to report that, after a few missteps, Killen's is definitely a destination that is worth the drive. Their delicious burger was cooked to order, with a charred crust and juicy patty.

Killen's Bacon Cheeseburger

The kids from Adair Kitchen ventured inside the loop with Eloise Nichols Grill & Liquors on the edge of the River Oaks District. With a cool retro vibe, this is the prefect setting to enjoy their Texas Beef Burger - local 44 Farms beef atop a Sweet Sourdough bun complimented with cheddar cheese, aioli, housemade pickles, lettuce, tomoto and onion. With a mix of sweet and spice, each tasty bite was robust with flavor.

Texas Beef Burger from Eloise Nichols Grill & Liquors

Relish not only moved locations, but reincarnated their fresh prepared food take-out concept with a dine-in restauarant - order at the counter for lunch, with servers bringing your meal to the table, or enjoy dinner with a full-service dining room. Either way, their burger is not to be missed. Featuring house-ground beef, cheddar cheese, corander onion, aioli, housemade pickles & tomato atop a toasted bun, Relish is a serious contender in the local burger war.

The Cheeseburger from Relish

While 2016 has definitely been a banner year for the local burger scene, 2017 promises to bring new burger adventures. Additional locations for HopDoddy and Shake Shack are just months away. Fort Worth's Rodeo Goat is entering the Houston market with an EaDo location before summer. The eagerly anticlpaed locally owned FM Burger is coming soon to the Heights area. Personally, I can't wait to try them all!